Tagged: universal-orlando

Disney Makes Shuttles Exclusive to Paid Guests—While Universal Opens Part of Epic Universe for Free

If you go to Florida's Walt Disney World for a drink or to soak in the resort's ambience, a new rule change in the transportation system may require you to pay up.The theme park giant…

The Cost of Visiting Universal Epic Universe Will Gut Your Bank Account—and Disney's

There's a famous event from the history of architecture that serves as a warning to companies that assume competitors could never catch up.In the late 1920s, the Empire State Building,…

Opening Dates for Orlando's Big Summer 2024 Attractions—and Should You Care?

This year, it's as if the USA's most popular tourist destination is holding its breath. Most summers, Orlando's theme parks construct a new blockbuster ride or two to attract families…

Orlando Sanford International Airport's Name Could Confuse Passengers Going to Orlando

A small airport an hour away from Walt Disney World has trademarked its name to associate itself with the tourist powerhouse of Orlando—and that inclusion can cause confusion when…

Universal’s Epic Universe: New Details About the Florida Theme Park’s Rides and Worlds

Florida's Universal Orlando Resort has at last released the first official details about its hotly anticipated upcoming theme park, Universal Epic Universe. First announced in 2019…

Brightline Miami to Orlando Review: Take the Train to Disney

It had its naysayers early on, but when Brightline kicked off service between Miami and Orlando in September 2022, the train delivered a major gift to Florida. Brightline in Florida is…

Minion Land Now Making Mischief at Universal Orlando Resort: Check Out the Videos

Minions, the animated yellow capsule creatures (think sentient Percocet pills, but adorable) from the Despicable Me cinematic universe, now have their own theme park area at Universal…

Disney World Attendance Is Way Down, but Don't Blame Politics

On the Fourth of July at Walt Disney World in Central Florida—a day when crowds are usually shoulder to shoulder—the pathways were shockingly clear. Wait times for most rides were 30…

4 Signs That Disney Parks Are in a Lot More Trouble Than People Think

In November, the proverbial wishing star really came through for Disney fans. The company's boardroom power struggles culminated in the abrupt firing of former CEO Bob Chapek. Many…

Does Universal Orlando's Private VIP Experience Tour Deliver What It Promises?

How much would you pay to have a theme park all to yourself? Pretty much no one has the kind of cash it takes to buy out a theme park—no one you'd probably want to hang out with for…

How to Get to Walt Disney World from the Airport Now That Magical Express Is Gone

As Frommer's has diligently reported over the past few years, Disney has been doggedly slashing customer benefits in an effort to squeeze more profit out of its parks. One of the…

Fully Revised for 2022, Our Guide to Disney World, Universal, and Orlando Is Now on Shelves

In July 2020, months before Covid-19 vaccination was available, grateful crowds tearfully swarmed back into the theme parks of Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando. Nothing, it…

Buyer Beware: Theme Parks Are Cutting Experiences but Not Prices

Despite headlines declaring that major theme parks have "reopened," that doesn't mean everything inside them has. We get it—some people would rather eat glass slippers than step foot…

How the Major Theme Parks Might Reopen

On Monday, the respected site Theme Park Insider published a story that reportedly came from an inside tip. The site claims that Walt Disney World in Orlando is considering reopening…

12 Magical Harry Potter Experiences in England and Beyond

Updated September 24, 2019 From the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal theme parks in California and Florida (pictured) to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London, the Harry…

Why Universal Orlando's Just-Announced Theme Park Is a Game Changer

It's official. Universal Orlando is building a third Florida theme park.Universal's Epic Universe, officially confirmed Thursday morning, is being built on 750 acres about four miles…

12 Theme Park Tips That Will Literally Save Your Life (Not Literally)

Working at a major theme park for years, you learn a few things. Like, if you happen to stumble upon an animal trainer with a chimpanzee, the chimp will consider you an attacker and…

Arthur Frommer: Universal Orlando Cuts Hotel Rates to Lure Visitors

For at least twenty years, Universal Orlando Resort has been on a hotel building spree. One after another, giant lodging has been squeezed onto its grounds, supplying close-at-hand…

Spectacular Holiday Show Added to Universal's Hogwarts Castle

Harry Potter is getting into the holiday spirit at Universal theme parks in Orlando and Southern California for the first time this year. In Central Florida, seasonal features at…

How Much Does an Orlando Vacation Cost? A New Tool Does the Math

One of the most common questions for me as the author of Frommer's Orlando is, "How much does a vacation there cost?"Well, a new online tool helps you figure out how much…

Harry Potter expansion confirmed for Universal Orlando

Well, it's true. Universal Orlando finally confirmed what has been an open secret for months: It is building a second section of its blockbuster Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The…

Travel Troubleshooter: A One-Night Penalty that Sticks

Although Anthony Braxton cancels his hotel more than 24 hours before he checks in, the property charges a one-night penalty, anyway. Can't Hotels.com help him get a refund?Q: I…

Slope Specs: Why Adelboden is a Little-Known Swiss Treasure

Adelboden, Switzerland (tel. +41 (0) 33 673 80 80; www.adelboden.ch) is the kind of European ski resort that North Americans always say they hope they will find -- a charming, scenic…

Lifting the Curtain on Tennessee's Secret City

To many readers, Oak Ridge, TN means "atom bomb" and memories of World War II. But to the scientists who worked and lived here at that time, it's the city that helped bring peace…

What's New: An Online Update for Frommer's Caribbean

Anguilla On the western shore of the island, the 18-hole, par-72 Temenos Golf Club (tel. 264/498-9000) has opened, but the 100-room deluxe St. Regis Resort has been delayed until…